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Mike Brosseau

Sorting Through The Brewers’ Outfield Options

By Darragh McDonald | February 6, 2023 at 7:59pm CDT

The Brewers’ outfield is going to have a different flavor this year compared to 2022. Lorenzo Cain was released in June of last year, Andrew McCutchen reached free agency at season’s end and has since signed with the Pirates, while Hunter Renfroe was dealt to the Angels. That leaves room for some fresh faces to step up and take over. Let’s take a look at some of the options.

The Lock

Christian Yelich

Yelich, 31, is the one constant in the Milwaukee outfield picture, as his contract runs through 2028. He was one of the best players in the league in 2018 and 2019, winning National League Most Valuable Player in the first of those two seasons. In each of those two campaigns, he posted a wRC+ of 167 or higher, stole at least 22 bases and was worth 7.2 fWAR or more. His production has dropped off from those incredible heights over the past three years, but he’s still a solidly above-average player. Last year, he hit 14 home runs, stole 19 bases and walked in 13.1% of his plate appearances. That led to a .252/.355/.383 batting line, a 111 wRC+ and 2.3 fWAR.

His contract and past performance ensure that he’ll be part of the team on a regular basis, though he’ll likely serve as the designated hitter a few times, leaving plenty of outfield playing time for others. The last time he played the field in more than 115 games in a season was 2019. Since the club is invested in Yelich for the long haul, they’ll want to continue giving him the occasional breather to keep him healthy. Advanced defensive metrics are also split on his glovework, with Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average both grading him as subpar last year and for his career, while Ultimate Zone Rating is much more encouraged.

Short-Term Vets

Jesse Winker

Winker, 29, is looking for a bounce back after a down season. In 2020 and 2021 with the Reds, he hit 36 home runs and produced a batting line of .292/.392/.552. Of all the hitters in the league with at least 650 plate appearances in that stretch, his 145 wRC+ was one of the 10 best. His work was even stronger with the platoon advantage, as he hit righties to the tune of .321/.417/.619 for a 167 wRC+, with only Juan Soto and Bryce Harper ahead of him in that department. He was traded to the Mariners prior to 2022 but struggled, hitting just 14 home runs last year and slashing .219/.344/.344 overall for a wRC+ of 109.

The Brewers acquired him as part of the Kolten Wong trade and will hope that a second change of scenery will suit Winker better than the first. It’s possible that injuries played a role as Winker required left knee surgery and a second procedure to address a bulging disc in his neck in October, though Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times has also reported that Winker’s work habits were a concern in Seattle. Regardless of the cause, Milwaukee is considered to be a much more favorable offensive environment than Seattle, which should work in his favor.

It remains to be seen how much the Brewers want to rely on Winker as a defender. His glovework has generally been rated poorly in his career and his numbers declined in that department in 2022. That could have been impacted by his health situation, but it’s possible he spends more time as the DH than in the field. However, as mentioned, Yelich will likely see his share of time in the DH slot as well, which will likely require Winker to spend at least a bit of time in the field. Winker is slated for free agency at season’s end.

Brian Anderson

Anderson, 30 in May, is also looking for a bounceback like Winker. From 2018-20, he hit 42 home runs for the Marlins and produced a line of .266/.350/.436, 115 wRC+. But the past two seasons have seen injuries diminish his playing time and performance. He got into just 165 total games over 2021 and 2022, hitting .233/.321/.359 for a 93 wRC+. He was eligible for one more pass through arbitration but the Marlins non-tendered him instead, with Anderson then signing a one-year deal with the Brewers.

Anderson has a bit more time at third base in his career than the outfield, and he told reporters last month he expects to see more time at third base than in the outfield. Milwaukee has Luis Urías to man the hot corner, through. That should leave Anderson in the mix for some outfield time, perhaps in a platoon role. He hits from the right side while Yelich and Winker both his left-handed, as do some of the guys below him on this list. Anderson has modest reverse splits for his career but did hit lefties better last year. Defensively, in over 1,500 outfield innings, Anderson has a -8 OAA but 8 DRS and 9.3 UZR. Even though he was hurt last year, his arm strength was still considered to be in the 99th percentile by Statcast, which could serve him well at third base or in the outfield.

Controllable Guys With Some Experience

Tyrone Taylor

Taylor, 29, has been largely a part-time option for the Brewers in recent years but took on a larger role last year as Cain was gradually phased out. He got into 120 games in 2022 and provided enough power to overcome some lackluster work at the plate otherwise. He struck out in 25.2% of his plate appearances and drew walks at just a 5.4% clip, but he did hit 17 long balls in 405 plate appearances. The result was a .233/.286/.442 batting line and a wRC+ of 102.

That work at the plate was just above average but he was much stronger on the other side of the ball. He played all three outfield positions but mostly in center, earning 6 DRS, 6 OAA and 2.0 UZR overall. It wasn’t a superstar performance but was competent in enough areas to produce 2.1 fWAR on the year. He’s set to reach arbitration for the first time after this year and can be retained through the 2026 campaign.

Garrett Mitchell

Mitchell, 24, was only drafted in 2020 but has already cracked the majors. He hit .287/.377/.426 between Double-A and Triple-A last year for a wRC+ of 118. He was selected to the major league club in August and was somehow even better in the big leagues. He hit .311/.373/.459 for a wRC+ of 136 in his first 68 MLB plate appearances. That’s a small sample size, however, and he did strike out 41.2% of the time. His defensive work was also graded as above average and he stole eight bases in 28 games.

Mitchell is a real wild card in this bunch since his 2023 could seemingly go in many different ways. On the one hand, he’s shown impressive results in all facets of the game and could be an immediate center field solution, pushing Taylor into a corner role. On the other hand, he has played less than 50 games above Double-A, the strikeouts are a real concern and his .548 batting average on balls in play will require serious regression.

Skye Bolt/Monte Harrison

Bolt, 29, and Harrison, 27, are in a similar boat to each other. They have both posted some solid minor league numbers but struggled in the majors. They’re now both out of options and had to settle for minor league deals for 2023. Bolt has a career batting line of .156/.205/.266 while Harrison’s is .176/.253/.294. They’ll likely only get a shot if the club gets bit by the injury bug a few times. Neither has reached arbitration yet and could theoretically be retained well into the future if they carve out a role.

Infielders That Can Play Some Outfield

Brice Turang/Mike Brosseau/Keston Hiura

With Wong having been traded to the Mariners, the second base job is up for grabs. Turang is one of the club’s top prospects and had a strong season in Triple-A last year, making him the favorite to take the job at the keystone despite not having cracked the majors yet. He played a bit of center field in Triple-A last year but is primarily a middle infielder. Brosseau can play all over and will be in a super utility role, allowing the club to pencil him in for any regular that requires an off-day. Hiura’s not quite as versatile, having only played first base, second base and left field in his big league career so far. He has tremendous power but has struck out in 36% of his plate appearances thus far, which will make it hard for him to carve out meaningful playing time.

On The Cusp Of A Debut

Blake Perkins

Perkins, 26, has long been considered a glove-first player but his bat seemingly took a step forward last year. Splitting his time between Double-A and Triple-A in the Yankees’ system, he stole 21 bases, hit 15 home runs and slashed .246/.357/.456 for a wRC+ of 120. He wasn’t added to that club’s roster at any point but the Brewers were intrigued enough to sign him onto their 40-man roster in November. He’ll likely be in the minors waiting for an opportunity to get called up, but he should have a decent floor thanks to his defense and speed. If the power he showed last year was a real development, he could be a well-rounded contributor.

Sal Frelick

Frelick, 23 in April, was the club’s first round pick in the 2021 draft but has quickly climbed the minor league ladder. Last year, he went from High-A to Double-A to Triple-A, hitting .331/.403/.480 for a wRC+ of 137, stealing 24 bases in the process. He doesn’t have much power but he’s very tough to strikeout, hitting 11 home runs last year but getting punched out at just an 11.2% rate. He’s still not on the 40-man roster but he’s considered one of the club’s top prospects and could force his way into the picture soon.

Joey Wiemer

Wiemer, 24 this weekend, is the inverse of Frelick with big power but strikeout concerns. He hit 21 home runs last year between Double-A and Triple-A but went down on strikes 26.8% of the time. The result was a .256/.336/.465 batting line and a 109 wRC+. Despite being a power hitter, he has sneaky speed, swiping 31 bags last year. Like Frelick, he’s not on the 40-man yet but is on the doorstep. Both he and Frelick are considered capable of playing center field.

Top Prospect That Could Show Up This Year

Jackson Chourio

Chourio is arguably the most exciting of this whole bunch but he might require patience since he’s very young, still over a month away from his 19th birthday. Last year, despite being just 18 years old, he went through Low-A, High-A and Double-A, hitting 20 home runs and stealing 16 bases in 99 games. His .288/.342/.538 batting line resulted in a 135 wRC+ and he got strong reviews for his glovework in center field.

Based on those excellent results at such a young age, he’s now considered the #3 prospect in the league by Baseball America, #8 by MLB Pipeline and #5 at FanGraphs. Given his youth and the fact that he’s played just six Double-A games, he won’t be a solution for the Brewers in the short term. Even reaching the big leagues by the end of the season seems like a long shot, but it probably can’t be completely discounted given the tremendous talent he seems to possess.

_____

There’s a ton of young talent here, including about a half dozen plausible center fielders. That puts the Brewers in great shape for the long haul, though it might take some time to allow these guys to sort themselves out. Chourio isn’t close, while Wiemer, Frelick and Perkins still haven’t made it to the majors. Mitchell had a great debut but will need a longer stress test. Taylor should be solid for now but isn’t elite at anything and could be surpassed by the younger guys in time. Winker and Anderson will both be free agents after this year but it seems like the club could easily replace them from within.

In the future, it seems likely the Brewers will not only have a strong outfield but will likely have enough options to make trades that address other areas of the roster. We already saw one such move when they included Esteury Ruiz in the three-team deal that netted them William Contreras as their potential catcher of the future. Not all young players end up panning out as hoped, of course, but the quality and quantity both appear to be strong here. If the club can keep pace with the Cardinals in the division this year and there’s enough development from this group, perhaps the Brewers could be key players for deadline deals to help them push to return to the postseason after missing last year for the first time since 2017.

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MLBTR Originals Milwaukee Brewers Blake Perkins Brian Anderson Brice Turang Christian Yelich Garrett Mitchell Jackson Chourio Jesse Winker Joey Wiemer Keston Hiura Mike Brosseau Monte Harrison Sal Frelick Skye Bolt Tyrone Taylor

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Brewers, Mike Brosseau Avoid Arbitration

By Darragh McDonald | December 1, 2022 at 12:15pm CDT

12:15 pm: Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that Brosseau will make $1.4MM.

12:10 pm: The Brewers announced that they have signed utility player Mike Brosseau to a one-year contract, avoiding arbitration. His salary is not yet publicly known.

Brosseau, 29 in March, made his MLB debut with the Rays in 2019. Over that year and the shortened 2020 campaign, he got into 88 contests and seemed to cement himself as a valuable player. He hit 11 home runs and produced a batting line of .284/343/.500, leading to a wRC+ of 130. He also provided defensive versatility, playing the three non-shortstop infield positions as well as the outfield corners. Unfortunately, he struggled in 2021 and wound up splitting his time between the majors and the minors. In 57 MLB games, he hit .187/.266/.347 for a wRC+ of 73.

The Rays traded Brosseau to the Brewers a year ago and he seemed to get back on track after the switch. Milwaukee primarily used him in platoon fashion, as 105 of his 160 plate appearances came against lefties. For his career, Brosseau has a 127 wRC+ against southpaws but just an 84 the rest of the time. That was largely true in 2022 as well, though he strangely walked much more against righties in his small sample. That led his wRC+ totals to come out pretty even at 117 and 119, despite a .274 batting average against lefties and a .217 against righties. On the whole, he finished the season with a .255/.344/.418 batting line and a 118 wRC+.

He surpassed three years of MLB service time this year, qualifying for arbitration for the first time. Though it’s not yet known what salary he agreed to, MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected $1.2MM. Whatever the number, Brosseau has locked that money in. Under the previous collective bargaining agreement, teams could cut arbitration players in Spring Training and only pay a portion of the salary. However, the new CBA dictates that players will receive full termination pay so long as they don’t go to a hearing.

The Brewers currently have a number of lefties who project to get at least somewhat regular playing time, including Christian Yelich, Rowdy Tellez, Kolten Wong, Jon Singleton and Garrett Mitchell. Given Brosseau’s defensive versatility and penchant for hitting lefties, he should be able to plug himself into semi-regular platoon duty, as well as occasionally pinch-hitting and serving as a defensive replacement.

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Milwaukee Brewers Transactions Mike Brosseau

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Brewers Make Series Of Roster Moves

By Anthony Franco | June 3, 2022 at 3:36pm CDT

JUNE 3: Milwaukee recalled Alex Jackson to serve as Caratini’s backup today. Hall has been designated for assignment. The Brewers also recalled Luke Barker and Pablo Reyes, optioned Peter Strzelecki and placed Mike Brosseau on the 10-day injured list due to a right ankle sprain.

JUNE 2: The Brewers placed catcher Omar Narváez on the COVID-19 injured list, just a half-hour before tonight’s contest with the Padres. That’ll force them to start Víctor Caratini behind the dish today, and the time constraints have led to an atypical corresponding roster move. To take Narváez’s place on the active and 40-man rosters, the Brew Crew selected backstop Alex Hall from High-A Wisconsin.

That decision was pressed upon them by geographic constraints as the Brewers scramble to get a second catcher to Milwaukee. Hall will make the trek from Appleton, where the Timber Rattlers are based — a far easier commute than it would’ve been to get help from Durham, where the club’s Triple-A affiliate is playing on the road.

Hall, 23 next week, was an amateur signee out of Australia in December 2017. He had a nine-game stint in Triple-A in 2019 but has otherwise played in the low minors for his entire career. He’s only played six games with Wisconsin this season, as he’s been a backup option for the Timber Rattlers. This stay on the 40-man roster will surely be brief, but the unique situation affords Hall an opportunity to join the big league club and possibly get some MLB action were Caratini to suffer an injury during tonight’s game.

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Milwaukee Brewers Transactions Alex Hall Mike Brosseau Omar Narvaez

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Brewers Place Andrew McCutchen On COVID List

By Mark Polishuk | May 7, 2022 at 4:34pm CDT

4:34PM: McCutchen did test positive for the coronavirus, manager Craig Counsell told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters.

4:18PM: The Brewers have placed outfielder Andrew McCutchen on the COVID-related injury list.  Utilityman Mike Brosseau has been called up from Triple-A while McCutchen is sidelined.

It isn’t yet known if McCutchen has tested positive for COVID-19 or if his placement is merely precautionary due to symptoms or a close-contact situation.  If the latter, the veteran outfielder could be back in Milwaukee’s lineup as early as tomorrow.  If McCutchen has tested positive, he’ll miss at least 10 days unless he can deliver two negative tests, go at least 24 hours without a fever, and get approved by a panel of three physicians (a team doctor, a league-approved doctor, and a players’ union-approved doctor).

After signing a one-year, $8.5MM free agent deal to join the Brew Crew, McCutchen has yet to really get going, hitting a modest .240/.291/.350 with two home runs over his first 110 plate appearances in a Brewers uniform.  McCutchen has mostly worked as the designated hitter, so Milwaukee is likely to rotate several regulars through the DH spot in his absence, with Brosseau, Tyrone Taylor, and Jace Peterson filling holes around the diamond or getting some DH time themselves.

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Milwaukee Brewers Transactions Andrew McCutchen Mike Brosseau

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Brewers Acquire Mike Brosseau From Rays

By Mark Polishuk | November 13, 2021 at 3:36pm CDT

The Brewers have acquired utilityman Mike Brosseau from the Rays in exchange for minor league right-hander Evan Reifert.  Both teams have officially announced the trade.

One of many multi-positional players coming through the Rays’ pipeline, Brosseau was an undrafted free agent who rose through Tampa’s ranks to appear in 143 games over the last three seasons.  Brosseau hit .284/.343/.500 with 11 homers over 240 plate appearances in 2019-20, and looked to be on the verge of becoming a regular in the Rays’ infield mix before struggling in 2021.

Brosseau never seemed to get on track in the early going, and then found himself frequently shuttled back and forth between Tampa Bay and Triple-A Durham.  An oblique strain in July further hampered his season, and overall, Brosseau hit only .187/.266/.347 over 169 PA for the Rays.  This apparently made Brosseau an expendable piece for a Rays team deep in infield depth, and as broadcaster Neil Solondz notes, the Rays now also open up a roster spot in advance of the 40-man roster deadline on November 19.

The Brewers have a pattern of seeking out versatile players, and Brosseau has plenty of experience at multiple positions.  He has mostly played second base and third base throughout his pro career, but also has seen a decent chunk of action as a shortstop, first baseman, and corner outfielder.  A right-handed hitter, Brosseau can serve as a complement to lefty swingers Kolten Wong at second base or Rowdy Tellez at first base.  With Brosseau now in the fold, it could increase the chances that Milwaukee parts ways with at least one of Daniel Vogelbach or Jace Peterson prior to November 19, or the December 2 non-tender deadline.

Reifert is also technically an undrafted player, as though he was a 30th-round pick for the Rangers in 2018, he opted to attend college rather than begin his pro career at that stage.  He instead signed with the Brewers in 2020, as Reifert wasn’t selected in the shortened five-round 2020 draft.

The 22-year-old righty looked good in his first season, posting a 2.10 ERA with a stunning 40.23% strikeout rate over 60 combined relief innings with the Brewers’ high-A and A-ball affiliates.  Those missed bats came with some shaky control, however, as Reifert’s walk rate was a concerning 14.06%.  Reifert possesses an upper-90s fastball, so if the Rays can improve his command, the team will have yet another hard-throwing bullpen weapon at their disposal in the next season or two.

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Milwaukee Brewers Tampa Bay Rays Transactions Mike Brosseau

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Rays Recall Drew Rasmussen

By TC Zencka | June 19, 2021 at 3:06pm CDT

The Rays have called up right-hander Drew Rasmussen, the team announced. The moves comes as the second part of yesterday’s optioning of infielder Mike Brosseau to Triple-A.

Rasmussen was one of the two arms acquired from the Brewers as part of the Willy Adames trade. Since joining Tampa’s system, Rasmussen posted 11 1/3 scoreless innings over eight outings in Triple-A. The 25-year-old put up a 4.24 ERA/3.88 FIP over 17 innings with the Brewers prior to the deal.

Rammussen has all the makings of another high-leverage, power arm capable of soaking up some high-leverage innings out of the Rays’ bullpen. In his short time with the Brewers, his 91.1 mph four-seamer registered in the 95th percentile for fastball velocity league-wide. His high-spin fastball dominates his arsenal at a 68.1 percent usage rate. He’s flashed a four-pitch arsenal at times, but the Rays have a way of simplifying a pitcher’s approach, so it will be interesting to see if he changes his approach at all after changing uniforms.

Brosseau has moved up and down between Triple-A and the Majors all season. The 27-year-old has batted just .182/.264/.326 in 148 plate appearances in the bigs. He has not yet appeared in a game at Triple-A.

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Tampa Bay Rays Transactions Drew Rasmussen Mike Brosseau

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Rays Reinstate Ji-Man Choi From 10-Day IL

By Mark Polishuk | June 14, 2021 at 2:17pm CDT

The Rays have reinstated first baseman Ji-Man Choi from the 10-day injured list, with utilityman Mike Brosseau heading down to Triple-A as the corresponding move.  Choi will end up missing just beyond the 10-day minimum, as his IL placement for a left groin strain was retroactive to June 3.

It has been an injury-plagued year for Choi, who didn’t make his season debut until mid-May due to arthroscopic knee surgery.  When he has played, however, Choi has been swinging a mighty bat — he has hit .304/.448/.522 with two home runs over the small sample size of 58 plate appearances.  The left-handed hitting Choi will resume his normal role as Tampa Bay’s top option at first base against righty pitching, with Yandy Diaz forming the other half of the platoon.

Brosseau had somewhat quietly been a very productive player over his first two MLB seasons, hitting .284/.343/.500 in 240 PA in 2019-20 and playing all over the field for the Rays.  This year, however, Brosseau wasn’t offering much beyond defensive versatility, with only a .184/.259/.336 slash line in 139 PA.  There is little doubt Brosseau will find himself back in the big leagues at some point this season, and a stint in Triple-A might be just what he needs to get on track at the plate.

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Tampa Bay Rays Transactions Ji-Man Choi Mike Brosseau

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Rays Option Seven Players To Triple-A

By Mark Polishuk | March 26, 2020 at 4:46pm CDT

The Rays cut seven players from their 26-man roster today, as per a team announcement (Twitter link).  Outfielder Randy Arozarena, right-hander Trevor Richards, left-hander Anthony Banda, infielders Nate Lowe and Mike Brosseau, first baseman/outfielder Brian O’Grady and two-way player Brendan McKay are were all optioned to Triple-A.

Given how the Rays so often shuttle players from Triple-A and the big leagues, it’s safe to assume all seven of these names will wind up seeing action for the club this season, should the season get underway.  Tampa Bay is perhaps better equipped than most teams to handle the challenges posed by a potential shortened schedule and an effort to fit as many games as possible into an abbreviated period of time, as the Rays’ strong farm system gives them a lot of extra depth, and many of their players (especially pitchers) are already used to frequent trips up and down the ladder.

Since Lowe, Ji-Man Choi, and the newly-acquired Yoshitomo Tsutsugo are all left-handed hitters, it made sense that the younger Lowe would be the odd man out of the first base/DH mix.  The same is true for O’Grady, acquired in a trade with the Reds back in November.

Arozarena is also a newcomer to Tampa Bay, having been acquired as part of the multi-player trade with the Cardinals in January that brought Jose Martinez to the Rays.  Martinez is the right-handed complement to Choi and Tsutsugo (though the Rays have been experimenting with Tsutsugo as a part-time third baseman and outfielder), while Arozarena will provide outfield depth at Triple-A.  Arozarena’s chances of making the Opening Day roster were lessened when the Rays picked up Manuel Margot from the Padres, though Arozarena’s ability to play all three outfield positions will very likely make him the first call-up should an injury or need arise in the Rays’ outfield.

The delayed start to the season should give Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow time to get fully healthy, which meant McKay and Richards were suddenly expendable.  Since the Rays still plan to occasionally spell their starters by using openers, Richards will probably get action either in a traditional starting role or as a bulk pitcher behind an opener — he served in both capacities after being acquired by the Marlins at last year’s trade deadline.  In fact, it could be easy to see a scenario where Richards and “Two Way McKay” are combined together in a piggyback outing, with the intriguing McKay (one of the game’s top prospects) also serving as an X-factor at the plate.

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Tampa Bay Rays Transactions Anthony Banda Brendan McKay Brian O'Grady Mike Brosseau Nate Lowe Randy Arozarena Trevor Richards

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Latest On Rays’ Infield

By Anthony Franco | July 21, 2019 at 11:58am CDT

The Rays are set to welcome back a pair of infielders in the coming days. Rays manager Kevin Cash told Juan Toribio of MLB.com that third baseman Matt Duffy is poised to come off the injured list in next week’s series against Boston, perhaps as soon as tomorrow. Not far behind, it seems, is utilityman Daniel Robertson, who will kick off a minor-league rehab assignment in the High-A Florida State League tomorrow, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

This will mark Duffy’s season debut, as he’s been sidelined by a hamstring strain from the outset. The 28-year-old was Tampa’s preferred option at the hot corner in 2018. Despite hitting only four home runs and slugging .366, Duffy was worth a solid-average 2.4 fWAR on the strength of a high-contact approach and plus metrics at the hot corner (at least in the eyes of UZR). Over four MLB seasons, Duffy sports a career .285/.337/.385 slash (102 wRC+) with above-average defense at third base.

Robertson, who has been out since June 22 with right knee inflammation, was even better than Duffy in 2018, although his offensive output has cratered this season. As a part-time player last year, the former A’s prospect slashed .262/.382/.415 while logging time at all three infield positions. His batted ball metrics never quite backed up that level of production, but the Rays likely still anticipated at least average output at the plate from the 25 year-old moving forward.

Instead, his power has cratered, partially because his already-high ground ball rate has jumped six points from last season. The result: a .202/.311/.281 slash, translating to a 68 wRC+. Nevertheless, there’s room for some optimism about a return to form. Robertson’s elite plate discipline seems to be intact, he’s actually making more contact than last season despite a curious uptick in strikeouts, and his average exit velocity, per Statcast, hasn’t changed.

Things are a little less fortunate for AL Rookie of the Year candidate Brandon Lowe. Topkin tweets that Lowe’s bruised right shin, sustained when he fouled a ball off his leg, continues to impede his lateral quickness on fielding drills, meaning “it will still be awhile before he’s back,” as Topkin puts it. This is the second time in a week we’ve heard frustration with the 25-year-old’s recovery process. The Rays, who have lost five straight and now sit two games back in the AL Wild Card race, could certainly use Lowe in the lineup, as the second baseman sports a strong .276/.339/.523 slash.

In the interim, Lowe’s injury likely means more playing time for Duffy, who seems to have been squeezed out at third base by the club’s offseason acquisition of Yandy Diaz, and hot-hitting rookie Michael Brousseau. Joey Wendle has continued to log action at the keystone in Lowe’s absence, as well, but he’s come nowhere close to repeating his solid 2018 production and could see his playing time dwindle as the club’s infield mix gets increasingly crowded.

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Tampa Bay Rays Brandon Lowe Daniel Robertson Matt Duffy Mike Brosseau

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Rays Place Ji-Man Choi On 10-Day IL

By Jeff Todd | July 3, 2019 at 11:43am CDT

The Rays announced today that first baseman Ji-Man Choi is heading to the 10-day injured list, as MLB.com’s Juan Toribio was among those to cover via Twitter. He’s said to be dealing with a sprained left ankle.

Infielder Mike Brosseau will come up to take the open active roster spot. He’s in the majors for the second time this season after a brief prior promotion. Brosseau has been aflame at Triple-A, where he carries a .317/.408/.590 batting line with 15 home runs and a 51:33 K/BB ratio.

It’s at least a bit interesting to see the Rays tap Brosseau rather than first base prospect Nate Lowe. The left-handed-hitting Lowe struggled in a ten-game stint earlier this year, but would seem to be a more direct replacement for Choi. Perhaps the Tampa Bay club preferred to carry some added defensive versatility; no doubt the fact that they’ll face several lefty starters in the next week was also a factor. The presence of starter/first bagger Brendan McKay on the roster also reduces the need for a lefty bat.

In any event, there’s no indication that Choi will be sidelined for a lengthy stint. He’s slashing a respectable .266/.351/.423 on the season, good for a 111 wRC+. With Choi only commanding league-average money, he’s a cost-efficient player, but it’s certainly possible the club will see cause to pursue an upgrade at some point this summer.

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Tampa Bay Rays Ji-Man Choi Mike Brosseau

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